Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Medical marijuana came up seven votes short in the Illinois House last week. It needed 60 votes to pass, but only got 53.
The bill, House Bill 30, had been heavily amended by the time it failed in the House Wednesday. The initial version was straightforward: Patients with debilitating medical conditions and a doctor's recommendation could join a state registry, designate a caregiver, grow up to six plants, and possess up to two ounces. Or they could purchase medical marijuana via state-regulated nonprofit dispensaries.
But in amendments, the program was turned into a pilot program that expired in three years, patients were banned from driving for 12 hours after using medical marijuana, the grow your own provision was killed, dispensary operators were banned from contributing to political campaigns, and would-be dispensary operators would have to pay a non-refundable $5,000 application fee and a $20,000 registration fee if approved.
"This is not about drugs, this is not about marijuana," Lang said about the bill "It's about healthcare."
But Republicans in the House weren't buying. "We have processes for making medicines legal in this country, processes for approval, and if we go through those, that will work," said Rep. Richard Morthland (R-Cordova).
"This bill would make marijuana more easily accessible for folks in the public, and I was afraid that it could easily be abused," said state Rep. Adam Brown (R-Decatur).
Some Republicans shed crocodile tears for patients. "My concern is the abuse and those who would be misled and have what's supposed to be their medical marijuana taken from them by others," said Rep. Dan Brady (R-Wilmington), as he voted to deprive patients of the opportunity to use medical marijuana.
The same day, the House also killed a firearms concealed carry bill. For Illinois medical marijuana patients, however, concealed carry of their medicine is still the way to go.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
Illinois Democrats
There are 64 Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives, more than enough to pass medical marijuana legislation, which is overwhelmingly supported by their constituents. All registered Democrats in Illinois need to organize 2012 primary challenges to the Democrats who killed this bill.
Send a CLEAR message -oppose marijuana law reform, lose your seat.
In reply to Illinois Democrats by Anders (not verified)
FollowTheMoney.org
The following may be a clue. Most political issues are settled behind close doors, not on the capitol floor.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/2011/may/05/obamas_sudden_senseless_assault#comment-168411
Horsehockey
""We have processes for making medicines legal in this country, processes for approval, and if we go through those, that will work," said Rep. Richard Morthland (R-Cordova)."
So says the Big Pharma suckup! What about those 'herbal remedies' that don't have to go through the FDA's testing?! 3/4 of those are FAR more harmful than cannabis, yet they are allowed by default, and a PROVEN OTC remedy will get you YEARS in prison!
Representatives need to get a clue
With overwhelming public support, Representative Brauer is hard pressed to explain his no vote on this bill other than it "could send the wrong message to kids". That is a rather amusing remark in light of the fact that he has a a certain alcoholic beverage named after him at the taverns in Petersburg, Il.
HB30
I'm a 48 year old man disabled with a very painful degenerative condition of the spine. I want Rep. Morthland to spend 1 hour in my shoes, just one hour and we WILL have cannabis available for medicinal use her in Illinois. After over 1000 days pharmaceutically bed-ridden on oxycontin and other dangerous narcotics, after suffering 3 heart attacks and a TIA (temp stroke), a wonderful hospice nurse visited me while i was vomiting profusely. I was down to 130 pound on a 6'5" frame because of the side effects. I was set home to DIE!! I guess that doesn't matter to the Representative since he wouldn't want his own daughter that suffers from epilepsy if the FDA hadn't approved a medication her OWN doctor thinks would improve her quality of life. Sorry, but that is pathetic, on all sorts of levels. OUR legislators have to wake up, or should i say CATCH up to what the public (THAT ELECTS THEM) WANTS THEM TO DO!!! they seem to be out of touch!!!
Mike Graham
Illinois MedCann Patients
patient/advocate
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